Thanksgiving Collectibles

Thanksgiving turkey candy container, German, first-half 20th century

If you are a Thanksgiving collector, you can help yourself to seconds and even thirds without a lot of competition, good fortune that surely makes you thankful.  Not yet as popular as Christmas or Halloween, vintage Thanksgiving collectibles are still plentiful fairly low in price, and may well be the next big thing.   Look for pilgrims, Native Americans and harvest themes.

Food Themed Thanksgiving Collectibles

Not surprisingly, a large majority of Thanksgiving collectibles have to do with food.  Corn, pumpkins and turkeys top the list, with autumn harvest themes and cornucopias abounding.   Since Thanksgiving festivities center around a traditional dinner, mementos that symbolize that dinner are highly popular, whether in ceramic, paper, cardboard, fabric, or wax (candles).  In keeping with the traditional dinner theme, Thanksgiving collectibles lean heavily towards serving pieces and table displays.  Platters, bowls, gravy boats, salt and pepper shakers, casseroles, and dinner plates are all popular usable collectibles.  In the late 1800’s, a variety of manufacturers started producing Thanksgiving transferware dishes for the American market that are still used today. Manufacturers include Johnson Brothers, Wedgwood, Spode, Fitz and Floyd and Staffordshire.

Food and soap molds are popular, as are candy containers.  Candy containers are most often found in the shape of turkeys and can date as far back as the early 1900s. These containers were often made in Germany and Japan of papier-mache or composite, or plaster and used as table favors well into the 1950s. In the U.S, Dennison made many cardboard and crepe paper candy and nut cups.

Turkey Candles and More

All lovely dinners require flickering candlelight, and Thanksgiving is no exception.  Figural candles in the form of turkeys (of course), Native Americans, and pilgrims are all readily available.

Thanksgiving Paper Ephemera

Dennison and Beistle made a variety of paper Thanksgiving decor, from crepe paper honey-comb cornucopias, to standing turkeys.  As these were designed to be used and discarded, they are available, but hard to find in excellent condition.  A large turkey centerpiece with a crepe paper honey comb body can go for as much as $75.  In years gone by, it was not unusual to send Thanksgiving greetings via the Thanksgiving postcard.  These are readily available cards with pleasing graphics in a variety of Thanksgiving themes.  Common cards sell for as little as $5 each, but an unusual or heavily embossed made in Germany card can cost much more.  Cards with crossover appeal such as artist signed or black Americana are costlier still.

Macy’s Does Thanksgiving

Begun in the 1920s by mostly immigrant employees of the Macy’s department store, the parade in New York has evolved into one of the country’s most famous holiday events.  Collectibles from the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade include posters, jigsaw puzzles, tote bags, snow globes and VIP passes.

-By p4A Contributing Editor Susan Cramer.

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